The improvement of water management in the agricultural environment is the objective of this financing promised by the World Bank in Morocco and whose ratification is expected for the last days of this month of March. There are 180 million dollars that will be donated to achieve the vision of Resilience and sustainability of irrigation water (Redi). A vision set out earlier this year, which will see the regions of Tadla, Casablanca-Settat and Souss-massa benefit from better irrigation and drainage services, and access to advisory services and irrigation technologies.

The annual distribution of fresh water per inhabitant is 500 m3, a decrease of 80% since the 1960s. This makes Morocco, according to the United Nations Organization ( ONU ), in one of the States most affected by the drought, with forecasts still worrying. Thus, the 180 million dollars will also be used to improve water management in needy regions of Morocco, by the Ministry of Agriculture, Marine Fisheries, Rural Development and Water and Forests.

Getting wet due to lack of water

For the occasion, a master program for the distribution of treated water will be launched with the support of Resilience and Sustainability of Irrigation Water (Redi). No less than 20.000 direct actors in agriculture, in central Morocco, will benefit from this program, with 98.000 hectares of land provided. The completion of the groundwater subscription contract at the Chtouka treatment plant is also a Redi project to better manage groundwater in the long term, through the creation of a body that includes the main players and the request for a contractor to inspect the use of groundwater by farmers.

Computerizing the agricultural sector and the management of its water by technological means is also an objective of Resilience and Sustainability of Irrigation Water (Redi), for good irrigation supervision. For example, two data transmitters to estimate the effects of new irrigation techniques, inside and outside the selected areas, with one transmitter at the Tadla level and another at the Regional Office for Agrarian Development (ORMVA) level.

The second part of the Resilience and Sustainability of Irrigation Water (Redi) ambitions is to establish new wetting techniques in certain regions, such as in the Talda region, to complement new safe channels with the routing of those who are exposed. An indicator of water consumption in 9.000 wells in Chtouka is also part of Redi's plans, for good governance of shallow water.

The Kingdom of Morocco thus hopes to wet approximately 18.000 hectares, through a series of restoration of the main pumping station (SP1), the main canal and the distribution networks of Souss-Massa, by placing irrigation terminals in the disadvantaged areas. Turning towards new techniques and benefiting from irrigation technologies is the next objective of Resilience and Sustainability of Irrigation Waters (Redi).